1Password 8 Please Export More Fields to CSV

rckingsley

Periodically I have exported multiple fields (besides just userid and password) to a .CSV file so that I can put that file on a thumb drive and put it in a safe deposit box.

The current version of 1Password for Mac only allows the export of userid and password to a .CSV file, which means I won't know the 'name' of the entry, no URL, no definition of what kind of entry it is (Login, membership, router, etc.), no notes, etc.

I also have older clients (to whom I recommended 1Password) that rely on a printed copy (which they usually keep in a safe) for reference when they struggle with using 1Password.

Although the .1PUX file "hopefully" contains all of that information, there is no way to create a physical printout of the contents. We are totally at the mercy of electronic media, and don't have a written fallback.

There is also the issue of other password managers not being able to handle a .1pux, so we are more "locked in" to 1Password and this could be a real problem in the future.

Please allow us to export more fields (like what you provided with 1Password 7), so we can have a better option for backups.

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1Password Version: 8.8.0
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OS Version: macOS 13.0
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Referrer: forum-search:1Password 8 export csv

MrC

@rckingsley

I meant to respond to this the other day, but was a bit backlogged with other projects, and it slipped my mind. I can't speak for the 1Password folks, yet I'd imagine that having a better CSV export is on their likely lengthy To Do list.

There are a couple of workarounds that you may be able to employ for your personal needs. I don't imagine these, however, would be terribly practical for your older clients (unless you can help them).

The 1PUX export file is a simple zip archive of the exported account's vaults (yes, it contains all the vaults in the account). Inside, there is a readable, unencrypted text file that contains the fields and values of all the items, per vault, for the account. There is also a folder that contains the documents that have been uploaded into the vault(s), named such they match ID values of the associated items in the vault. And there is one additional small metadata file that describes the export (so that an import can know what to expect). All of the important content is included in the 1PUX; in other words, the export is sufficiently complete and comprehensive. You cannot get this rich content in a CSV export.

That said, you can obtain a print out of the the export contents, because the primary file is a simple JSON structured text file, and of course you can print a text file. But you may not "appreciate" the format (and reformatting this structured data may be unfamiliar to you). Still, its an easily searchable text file, so finding some critical username / password is possible, and it's certainly easier than scanning a lengthy CSV print out.

Here's an screenshot of an example dump of a 1PUX I generated from a 1PUX created by my converter suite (using a quick tool I wrote to dump the 1PUX contents to the terminal for quick viewing):

I mention this level of detail, so you can perhaps rest easier knowing that you can get your data out of 1Password 8. You are not locked in, and so long as 1Password exports a 1PUX, it can easily be converted. I have no doubt that other password managers will soon support importing a 1PUX file - it's in their best interest to do so.

You mention concerns about better backups. You should feel more conformable having a 1PUX file as a backup. More so than CSV, as any CSV export will be quit lossy (on import back into 1Password, no file attachments/documents, lots of missing metadata). Just export a 1PUX, and be sure you secure it somehow (as it is of course, unencrypted). That's your best personal backup option.

Another method to extract the "rows" of data you desire is to use the 1Password command line tools. While not difficult to use, there is some learning curve. But you have more control over exactly which values you retrieve, and how you ultimately decide to output / format them.

I do realize you'll likely still want better CSV / print support, but until that time, I hope this helps a bit.

rckingsley

Thanks, MrC. This was very helpful, and I appreciate it. Like you, I looked at the 1PUX file and was able to find 'pertinent' information, but would have taken too much time (and learning) for me to parse that file into something readable. That being said, I do like the idea of having a 1PUX file for backup in case recovery becomes an issue.

What I ended up doing is backing out of 1Password 8 and reinstalling 1Password 7. That allowed me to create a .CSV file with the fields I wanted, which also allows for the creation of a printed copy that is usable. I am recommending to my clients "not" to upgrade to 1Password 8 at this time.

Unfortunately, I am still dealing with the inability for my browser extension to work unless I turn off private browsing and allow cookies to be saved - something I find bizarre since 1Password is designed for security-conscience people. Ah well.

MrC

@rckingsley

Would you be willing to work with me to test / define the requirements for a CSV export from 1PUX?

rckingsley

MrC: I'll have to think about that one.

Since I backed off to 1Password 7, it does what I need (at least regarding CSV export files) for now. 1Password 7 doesn't allow the export of a 1PUX file (only 1PIF and such), so I would have to install 1Password 8, export some selected entries that are "innocuous", edit that 1PUX file to reflect a different password, then back out 1Password 8 and install 1Password 7 so that I could function more normally.

Although I did create a 1PUX file when I was running 1Password 8, it contains "all" of my passwords in each vault - something I prefer not to share.

MrC

@rckingsley

Understood, and no problem. I just wanted to ping you in case you were interested. Let me know if this ever becomes something of interest.